A number of in-vehicle equipment such as an air conditioner, audio components, and the like are boarded on a vehicle such as an automobile. In such a vehicle carrying a number of in-vehicle equipment, when an exclusive operation switch is provided for each of the in-vehicle equipment, numerous operation switches are arranged in a limited space within the cabin. This compels the user to look for an operation switch for manipulation of desired in-vehicle equipment and such switch manipulation is complicated, lowering the operability of the in-vehicle equipment.
For improving such problems, the operation switches of the in-vehicle equipment are integrated into a single operation switch. An information display system disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid Open Publication No. 7-25723A is known as such a device, for example. This information display system includes a concentrated display having on a single screen a plurality of display regions divided for each of in-vehicle equipment and a joystick switch mounted at an instrument panel. The concentrated display indicates operation menus relating to the respective in-vehicle equipment in the respective plurality of display regions. When one of the operation menus is operated through the joystick switch, the corresponding in-vehicle equipment executes a predetermined operation accordingly. In this information display system, switches for operating the respective in-vehicle equipment are integrated into the single operation switch, and therefore, only manipulation of the integrated operation switch leads to operation of any of in-vehicle equipment, increasing the operability of each of the in-vehicle equipment.
In the above information display system, however, the single operation switch is composed of a joystick switch that is manipulated by being tipping left, right, back, or forth, which is liable to invite mis-manipulation. This presents a problem of lowered manipulation reliability in view of manipulation by a driver driving the vehicle.